Smart Cities and the Prediction, Prevention, and Progression of Solutions to Homelessness

Homelessness has become an emblematic symptom of municipal governance failure across many large Western cities in the 21st century. A formerly marginal problem has grown precipitously, fuelled by the financial crisis of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 to 2022. Habitat for Humanity estimated that globally 1.6 billion people live in “inadequate shelter.” For cities to claim the mantle of smart, they will need not only to address the challenges faced by their most disadvantaged citizens but also to overcome them. Therefore, a pivotal aspect of creating model future smart cities lies in understanding homelessness as a symptom of larger systemic issues rather than an isolated and individualized problem. By acknowledging this complexity, we can explore holistic approaches that blend sustainable urban development, institutional support, resilient socio-economic policies, and smart initiatives to address homelessness. This chapter will seek to navigate the intricate intersectionality of homelessness with regard to the affordances of smart cities. Included here will be a review of the impacts of technology and innovation on homelessness, exploring the efficacy of smart city initiatives that leverage digital technologies to provide an increased understanding of the problem, enabling improved approaches to be developed that can help address its systemic causes.